Deer Creek's Grant Gower happy with new-look Antlers

EDMOND — Replacing 27 seniors is a daunting task, but Deer Creek coach Grant Gower feels his team is quite capable of doing just that.

Deer Creek Caden Sander during Fall High School Sports Mug shot day at OPUBCO on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

The Antlers won the District 5A-2 championship last season, but repeating will be no small accomplishment.

Gower, though, is happy with how the program and new-look team is progressing.

“We'll have a lot of guys that can step in that have been in the program, have been in the system,” he said. “The biggest part is knowing and understanding the system. A lot of guys you may not have heard of just yet, but I feel really good about what they'll bring on a Friday night instead of a Monday night.”

Still, there are some familiar names returning.

The Antlers return defensive end Eli Hooks, who recorded 12 sacks last season, in the 3-3 Stack.

“He's going to be a force for us again,” Gower said. “He had a great offseason. He's invested in this program. He's done a tremendous job and I'm excited what he's going to bring to our defensive front.”

Senior Caden Sander returns after grabbing seven interceptions at safety last season and returning kicks. Now, he moves to quarterback to replace the steady presence of Joel Blumenthal.

MORE FROM NEWSOK

Jacob Unruh is a graduate of Northeastern State University. He was born in Cherokee and raised near Vera where he attended Caney Valley High School.During his tenure at NSU, Unruh wrote for The Northeastern (NSU's student newspaper), the...